Bob-sled



(No Modl.)

P. GHAPIN 'au VW. J. EDWARDS.

BOB SLED.

Patented 1360.31, 1889T N. vETERs; Phatodium'grpher, wuhinglnn. mc,

UNITED STATES PATEN'I @Erica FESTUS Cl-IAPIN AND IVILLIAM JAMES EDVARDS,OF PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE,

MANITOBA, CANADA.

BoB-sLED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 418,164, dated December31, 1889.

Application led .Iuly 3l, 1889. Serial No. 819.347. (No m0del.)`Patented in Canada August l, 1888, No. 29.602.

To all wiz/0m it may concern.-

Bc it known that we, FESTUS CHAPIN and WILLIAM JAMES EDWARDS, both ofPortage La Prairi'e,in the Province of Manitoba, Canada, have jointlyinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Bob-Sleds, (for which wehave obtained a patent in Canada, No. 20,602, bearing date the 1st day'of August, 1888;) and we do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

Our invention, which will be hereinafter fully set forthV and claimed,relates to bobsleds having a bench or axle that will, adjust itself tothe inclination o f the position and oad.

Figure 1 is a top View of our improved bobsled; Fig. 2 is across-section of the saine on line a: zr, Fig. l, showing the bench inlongitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the same online y y, Figs. l and 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the same; andFig. 5 is a detail of the knee in cross-section on line 2 e, Figs. l and2.

A A are ordinary runners.

B is the axle, supported and held in the knees in such manner that itmay have a-rocking or oscillating motion in the saine, being providedfoi` that purpose with a cylindrical journal at each end. The kneesconsist each of two pieces C and C', and are preferably constructed ofwrought-iron.

C is the lower part of the knee, consisting of a strip of plate of awidth equal to the length of the journal-bearing or wider at the ends.The central portion c of the same is concaved or curved to thesemicircle, or part thereof of the journal of the axle B, and the twoend parts are bent downward in an outwardly-slanting direction, and adat foot c', formed at each end, adapted to sit flat and. be securedupon the upper surface of the runners, as the runners' are narrower thanthe upper part c or journal-bearings, and the plates C are thereforewider at their lower ends than the runners. The inner edges or portionsof the knee-plates are bent or turned at a right c ngle and in anoblique line to form upwardly-tapering flanges 0,, the ends of whichextend down and lap over the side of the runners to which they aresecured.

C is a selnicircular cap, with laps 0 cxtending partly down and over theslanting legs C, to which they are secured by bolts or rivet-s 0. In thejournal-bearings formed by the concave portions c and the caps C thejournaled ends of the axle B `are held lengthwise by the skeins h h,sunk in and firmly secured to said axle and having their projecting endsh turned up close to the edge of the bearing, so as to prevent the axlefrom slipping out of its bearings. The axle B,with the skeins b andknees C C', thus form a bench capable of holding the runners firmlyconnected laterally, while the former may oscillate in its bearings. j

D is the roller to which the end of the tongue E is secured.

F F are tongue-braces secured laterally to tongue and roller andextending past the latter, each projecting end being formed into an eyef, engaging a loop g on the inner runnerstrap G. Each inner runnenstrapG has its forward end g looped to adapt it to engage the eye f, and isthen turned outward and inserted into and projected through the runnerand out-side runner-strap G. at an approximately right angle therewith,and secured at the outside by a nut g over the outer strap G.

F F are clamps turned over and partly around and sunk in the roller D,their ends passing through the iiat part of the braces F, and aresecured thereto at the under side by nuts. The roller is thus securedpivotally, and is free to oscillate with the tongue, to which it isrigidly attached. i

H is a draft-rod having its ends turned horizontally to forni eyesconnecting the roller D and axle B by means of an eyebolt H and a forkedrod HC. The eyebolt H passes through the center of the roller D directlyunder the tongue E, its eye h being rearward, engaging the rod II andbeing secured at the front of the roller by a nut, which inay betightened or slackened at will to tighten or slacken the draft-rod II.The forked rod H connects by its eye 7L to the draftrod, the forked endspassing over and under and clipping the IOO axle B, and' being providedwith eyes near the end, through which passes the king-bolt. K is theking-bolt, passing through the bolster, the axle B, and both prongs ofthe forked red I J is the bolster, pivoted by the kingbolt upon the axleB.

The hind bob is connected to the axle B by means of a reach having aclevis, which engages a staple L. The latter passes through the axle Bfrom the rear, straddling the kingbolt, and is secured at the front ofthe axle by nuts Z.

It Will be observed that by the use of the draft-rod H the draft istransmitted in a direct line from the roller D to the bench B C and tothe rear bob, thus taking off the strain from the knees, and that theaxle B may oscillate notwithstanding' the draft-rod,\vliich is free toplay at the joints h h.

We 'claim as' our inventionl. In a bob-sled, the combination of therunners A, an oscillating axle B, journaled in the knees and heldtherein by skeins b, the knees C, secured upon the runners and formedwith the lower part of a journal-bearing for the axle, a cap C', formingthe upper part of the axle-bearing, said journal-bearing Vcarrying ih'eaxle B free to oscillate therein, the roller D, secured to the tongueand pivotally connected to Jthe runners and carrying an eyebolt H', thetongue E, secured to the roller, braces F, Vconnectingthe rollerD andtongue E laterally, and the roller D by clamps f', and connectingpivotally the roller D by eyes f to loopsg on the runner-straps,therunnerstraps G, having loops g, engaging'the eyesof Y the braces,theeyebolt I-l, secured in the roller Dv and "engaging the draft-rod,the draft-rod H,'e'ngaging the eyebolt H and the forked rod H andconnecting the two, the forked rod H, connected to the draft-rodclipping the axle and engaging the king-bolt, and the king-bolt K,substantially as set forth.

2. In a bob-sled, the combination of the runners A, the innerrunner-straps G, each having a loop yg and the end thereof turned andpassed through the runner and secured at the other side thereof, theroller D, secured to the tongue and pivotally connected to the runners,the 'tongue E, secured to the roller, and the braces F, secured to thetongue and roller and pivotally engaging the loops g of therunner-straps, substantially as set forth.

In a bob-sled, the combination of the roller D, having an eyebolt H,secured cen- Vtrally in the roller D, draft-rod H, engaging the eye ofthe eyebolt andthe eye of a forked rod, the forked rod H, having eye h,and engaging the draft-rod and the forked ends clipping the axle, andthe kin g-bolt K, passing through the axle and the prongs of the forkedrod, substantially as set forth.

4. In a bob-sled, the combination of the runners A, the knees C, eachhaving a concaved top c, and outwardly-sloping legs and feet c', andinner tapering flanges c, caps C', secured to the tops of said knees bylaps 0 and forming With the concave tops c circular journalbcarings forthe axle, and the axle B, having skeins b, holding the same in thebearings, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof We have signed in the presence of the undersignedWitnesses.

FESTUS CI-IAPIN. NVILLIAM JAMES EDWARDS.

Witnesses.

W. MAWHINNEY, C. H. WEsrBRooK,

